Door check and closer.



No. 654,304. Patented July 24, I900. E. CLIFF.

000B CHECK AND CLOSER.

(Application-filed Apr. 23, 1900.)

( "DMD 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

w W Z EN m I I I Iv L TW- 2 IN VENTOR W/TNESSES I Eda/amt am" LZL noon CHECK AND CLOSER.

I (No Mndl.)

E. curr.

(Application filed. Apr. 23, 1900.)

Patented July 24, I900.

2 Sheats-Sheet 2.

Edward C137 5 Y a A TTIOIRNEY UNITED STATES Prism OFFICE.

EDWARD CLIFF, OF NEWARK, new JERSEY. I

DQOR CHECK AND CLOSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettersretent No. 654,304, asses. July 24, 1900.

Application filed April 23, 1900. Serial No. 13,880. (Ilo model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, EDWARD CLIFF, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door Checks and Closers,

My invention has for its object to simplify and render more useful, durable, and positive this class of door closers and checks, as well as to avoid the inconveniences of their adjustment and the necessity of reversing the position'of their springs when adapting them from a left to a right hand condition.

In carrying my invention into effectI make use of two springs, reversely coiled, one spring acting to close the door and the other as a check to prevent the slamming of the door, and said springs thus arranged serving to adapt the device foreither rightor left hand doors at will, it being only necessary in shifting from a right to a left hand door to adjust the tension of the springs so that the thenolosing spring shall have sufficient force to handle the door and the checkin g-sprin g only the strength necessary to prevent the undue slamming of the door.

The door closer and check of my invention may or may not comprise a liquid or air checking medium in addition to the checkingspring. I The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which- 1 Figure 1 'isa top view, partly broken away, of a door-check and closer constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal. section of same onthedotted line 2 2 of .Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detached central vertical section of the sleeve-on the actuating-spindle, with the toothed wheel carried on the upper end of said sleeve, said sleeve being adapted to be engaged by the inner end of one of the coiled springs. Fig. 4 is horizontal section of same on the dotted line at 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a.

sectional view, corresponding with Fig. 3, of

the auxiliary sleeve which fits upon the sleeve shown in Fig. 3 and is engaged by the inner end of the other coiled spring. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of same on thedotted line 6 6 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a central vertical sect-ionof the door ckeck and closer correcyl-inder and the springs, Fig. 7 being presented to illustrate the form of casing which will be employed when the liquid checking.

I sponding with Fig. 2, but omittingthe liquid- 14, a cap for closing the upper end of the casing 10; 15, a liquid checking-cylinder whose piston 16 is connected bya piston-rod 17 with theeccentric 18, carried by said spindlell; F

19, a sleeve freely mounted upon the spindle 11 and receiving the inner end of the spring 13; 20, the auxiliary sleeve mounted freely upon said sleeve 19 and receiving the inner end of the spring 12; 21, a toothed wheel se cured upon the upper end of. the sleeve 19,

and 22 a similar wheelformed upon the upper end of the sleeve 20, said toothed wheels 21 and 22being respectively engaged by the pawls 23 and 24, pivotally secured to the lever-arm 25, which is of usual construction'in this art and is fastened upon the upper end of the actuating-spindle 11. p v

The main casing-1O is provided within its lower portion with a socket 26 to receive the lower end of the actuating-spindle 11, and the said casing 10 at a proper distance above said socket 26 is formed at opposite-sides with the horizontal shelves or flanges 27 to afiord a support for the outered'gesor portions of the lower spring 13. The sleeve 19 is formed at its lower edges with the annular shoulder or flan e-28 which the sleeves and 19.

affords a support for the inner portions of the lower spring 13, and said sleeve 19, above said annular shoulder or flange 28, contains a vertical recess 29 to receive the inner end of the lower spring 13. About on a level with the upper edges of the lower spring 13 the sleeve 19 is formed with the annular shoulder 30 to receive the lower end of the auxiliary sleeve 20, which, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7, fits upon the upper portion of the sleeve 19 and is formed with a vertical recess 31 to receive the inner end of the upper spring 12.

The actuating-spindle 11, sleeve 19, and sleeve 20 extend upward above the closingcap 14, and upon the upper end of the sleeve 19 is secured the toothed wheel 21, while upon the upper end'of the sleeve 20 is formed the corresponding toothed wheel 22, said wheels 21 and 22 being directly one below the other and adjacent to the upper end of the said spindle 11, said wheels 21 and 22'being thus in convenient position to be respectively engaged by the pivoted pawls 23 and 2t, carried by the operating-lever 25. The pawls 23 and 24 are independent of one another, said pawls being freely secured upon the rivet 32.

The exterior casing 10 is at its inner vertical side formed with a recess 33 of customary form in this art to receive the outer ends of the springs 12 and 13, while the inner ends of said springs respectively engage, as hereinbefore described, the recesses 31 and 29 of Intermediate the coiled springs 13 and 12 Ipreferably provide a disk or washer 34,whose function is simply to separate the adjoining edges of the springs 12 and 13 and prevent the coils of one spring from interfering with the coils of the adjacent spring.

The liquid-cylinder 15 is in the form of a cup screwed within the threaded flange 34', formed on the casing 10, and said cylinder 15 has by preference taperedinner walls 35, said walls gradually converging toward the outer end of said cylinder. The piston 16, contained within the cylinder '15, has tapered side walls 36, corresponding with'the tapered walls 35 of said cylinder, and said piston 16 is adapted when at the outer end of its movement to engage said walls35 of the cylinder 15. The piston 16 is provided with a port 37, containing the ball-valve 38, .said valve closing said port during the outward stroke of the piston 16 and opening said port during theinward stroke ofi said piston. During the inward stroke of the piston 16 its side walls gradually separate from the side surfaces of the cylinder 15 and allow a free passage of the oil or other liquid' to the outer end of the cylinder 15 but during the outward -movement of said piston 16 its side walls approach the inner surfaces of the cylinder and more and more contract the passage of the liquid to the inner end of said cylinder, whereby said liquid is caused to check the outward motion of said piston 16 and operate to cushion or control the door during its closing movement. The side surfaces or walls 36 of the piston 16 are elongated and serve during the closing of the door to squeeze the liquid outward against the inner surfacesof the cylinder 15, whereby, as I have discovered, a

very desirable checking-action may be socured. The piston 16 is pivotally secured to the outer end of the piston-rod 17, which at its inner end is apertured to receive the cocentric 18, carried bythe actuating-spindle -11. Above the eccentric 18- is provided the annular shoulder 39, which aifords a stop against any upward play at the inner end of the piston-rod 17 and a support for the lower end of the sleeve 19, as illustra'ted inFig. 2.

The door check and closer presented in Fig.

7 corresponds with the doorcheck and closer shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the exception parts are omitted from Fig. 7.

In the employment of myinventionthe casthat the liquid-cylinder and its cooperatipg ing 10 will be secured tothe door as usual and the customary lever-arms will connect the upper end of tel over the door. I be adjusted by rotating the sleeves 20 and 19, and one ofsaid springs will by the winding of its sleeve be given sufficient force to properly close the door, said force varying, of course, with the weight of the door and other conditions, whereas the other one of'said the spindle 11 with the lin- -'Ihe springs 12 and 13 will springs will have an independent adjustment by the winding 0t its sleeve, said other spring being only wound suificiently to enable it to operate as a cushion and prevent the closingspring from slamming the door. It may be assu med, for instance,that the apparatus is ap plied to a right-hand door and that the spring 13 is operating as the closing-spring, while the spring 12 is then serving as the checkingspring, and under these conditions the spring 13 will have been given a much stronger tension than the spring12 in order that the spring 12 may simply serve to check the action of the spring 13 withoutpreventing the latte from firmly closing the door. Should it now be desired, toapply the apparatus to a lefthand door, the tension of the spring 12 will be increased and the tensionof the spring 13 decreased, whereby the spring 12 will then be enabled to-operate to close the door, while the spring 13 will serve as the checking-spring. The springs 12 and 13-are connected with independent sleeves 20 and 19 and each is ca.- pable of independent adjustment or winding to increase or decrease its tension. The springs 12 and 13 maybe woundor'unwound at will to vary their tension by means of an instrument applied to the toothed wheels 21 and 22, connected with said sleeves, and in view thereof the closing-spring may be adjusted to the weight of the door it is to handle movement oflthe .jwords, the liquid 'its piston 16, and when is omitted. I do not confi tion to the reversely-coiled springs 12 and 13" contains a'liquid checking-cylinder 15, with such liquid-cylinder is employed the lower part of the casing 10 will be supplied with a suitable oilor other liquid of known character in this art. When the liquid checking medium is employed, the action of thepistonlfi against the liquid'during the closing of the door will serve to aid the checking-spring in resisting the closing door, or, expressed in other medium will resist the closmg actionof the door and willbe aided by the checking-spring in suchoperation. It

will'not benecessary in all cases to employ the liquid checking-cylinderlfi, and hence in Fig. 7 I illustrate the form .of easing which will be employed when said liquid checking-cylinder I ne the invention to the employment of a checking medium as an aid or to be aided by the c'hecking-sprin g but in some instances it will be desired to-employ the liquid checking-cylinder in combination with the closing and checking springs. The

bined with springs 12 and 13 must be wound in reverse directions during their adjustment-and during the closing of the door the closing-spring will unwind, while the checking-spring will be woundup and create'the proper resistance.

What I claim asnny-inventiomand desire.- to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The casing, the spindle,thelever thereon, and the pawls carried by said lever, comthe independent sleeves on said toothed wheels connected with said sleeves and adapted to be engaged by said pawls, and the reversely-coiled springs engaging said sleeves and easing; substantially as set forth. r

2. The casing, the spindle, the lever thereon, the pawls carried by said lever, the independent sleeves on said spindle and engaged by said pawls,and the reversely-coiled springs engaging said sleeves and casing,con1bined with the checking-cylinder, and the piston therein operatively connected with said spindle; substantially as set forth.

- 3. In adoorcheck and closer, the reverselyspindle, the

,coiled springs both under tensiomand means connected with said springs for their independent adjustment whereby the closingspring may thechecking-spring, combined with the pivto aid or be aided by the i be given a greater tension than totally-mounted lever-arm, and means for connecting'both of said springs to said arm, one of said springs serving as a closing-spring and doors, and likewise but in the reverseorder for left-hand doors; substantially as set forth. 4. In a door check and closer, the reverselyand the tension of oneof said springs being greater than the tension ofthe other'spring, combined with .the pivotally-mounted leverarin connected with both of said springs, the spring having the 'ing as the check toprevent theslammingof the door; substantially as set forth.- 5. The'casing, the spindle, and the lever sleeves on said spindle,'t he wheels'21,:'22, connected with'said sleeves, the .reversely co'iled'springs engaging said sleeves and casing, and'means for connecting either of said. wheels'with said lever-arm to cause'eitherof said springs to serve substantially as set forth.

6. The casing, the pivotally-moun ted lever-' arm, the spindle for said arm, and the reve'rsely-coiled springs within said combined with spindle and disposed upon the top of said cassprings, said :wheels with said lever-arm to cause either of said springs to serve asa closing spring; substantially as set forth.

q 7.- Thecasing, the pivotally-mounted leverarm ,"the spindle receiving at its upper. end the said arm, the reversely-coiledl springs withinsaid casi said spindle and disposed upon the 'top of the said springs, and means for either of said wheels with said lever-arm to ing-spring, .inder, and the piston therein operatively connected with ing the tension of the closing-spring anddesprings during the closing of the door; sub stantially as set forth.

Witnesses: CHAS. O. GILL,

GUNDER GUNnnnsoN.

the other as a checkin -spring for right-hand as the closing-spring; 9

said casing and respectively connected with connecting said spindle; substantially as set coiled springs both normallynndertension greater tension serving as; the closing-spring, and the other spring serv thereon, combined with the independent.

casing, the wheels 21, 22, loose on said Q ing and respectively connected with the said and means for connecting-either of mg, the wheels 21, 22, loose on cause either of said springs to serve as a (3105- com binedwith the checking-cyk I 10 "8. In a door check and closer, the oppo and'connections for incre'ascreasing the tension of the checking-spring during the opening of the door, and for grad ually restoring the normaltension of the said Signed at New York, in the county of New I New York, this 21st day 7 0 I 

